Laos is a beautiful country in Southeast Asia that shares
borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and China - making it smack dab in the middle of everything. This proximity has made it a melting pot of cultures, food and landscapes. The rolling hills and mountains are dotted with trees and the traditional villages are situated on the Mekong River (which runs for 250 miles throughout the country). Food specialties include Khao Soi like from Northern Thailand and Satay similar to Singapore. The night markets rival any other that we’ve experienced in Southeast Asia. And, it’s cheap!! But despite its central location and all of these perks, not many people venture over the border from Thailand or Vietnam to discover its beauty. And I think that’s a huge mistake.
My guess is that it’s partly due to the relative challenge to getting here and traveling around (which is now being improved - more on that later) and partly due to its rough past. Given Laos’ proximity to Vietnam, they were deeply impacted by the conflict during the Vietnam War. They even waged their own war against Americans, coined the Secret War, which was an attempt by America to eradicate Communism in the 60s and 70s. Between 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 2.5 million tons of bombs on Laos during 580,000 bombing raids, equal to a planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years, making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. About 30% of these bombs did not detonate so there are still areas in the country where live bombs lay like landmines across fields and villages. But frustratingly, this was all in vain. In a similar outcome to the Vietnam war, Laos remains a Communist country to this day, and massive change was not brought about. I’m not going to comment on whether the wars in this area were right or wrong, but it is deeply sad to see the impact that they had on the countries and their people. Many paid with their lives, limbs or loved ones and it contributed to their massively slow economic growth.
But despite their troubled past, the Laos people are extremely kind and seem determined to have a better future. The general culture feels very capitalistic, with Laos people starting their own businesses and hustling like entrepreneurs. The most prevalent religion is Buddhism and you can find gorgeous temples rivaling Thailand along with orange-robed monks mingling with villagers in ancient towns. We were especially enchanted with the Laosian kids who absolutely loved seeing and waving to foreigners and practicing their limited English. They would often stop playing to greet us with a toothy-grinned “bye” (mixing it up with “hi”) as we passed on our motorbike, laughing and waving until we were out of view. When I think back on Laos, I’ll think of the adorable barefoot children playing in the dirt who have less than 99% of the children back in America, but seemed happier than most I’ve encountered. It’s hard to not be charmed by this type of innocence and resilience.
The country is a decade or so behind their more developed neighbors like Thailand or Vietnam, so don’t expect many luxury hotels or five-star restaurants, but that’s exactly why there is so much charm (and why it’s so cheap!). So if you’re not yet convinced to visit, here are a few more reasons, plus a quick guide on how to get here, when to come and where to go.
Reasons to Visit Laos
Diversity of Activities - There are a ton of diverse and cultural activities in Laos that make sure your days are always filled and happy. Some that we loved:
Watch the Alms Giving ceremony in Luang Prabang. Every morning at 5:30 am the villagers line the streets to give offerings of rice to the monks in the local temples. The monks rely on this food for daily life and give the villagers a blessing in return.
Go on a Hot Air Balloon ride in Vang Vieng. We went with Above Laos for the sunrise. It’s a stunning way to see the gorgeous countryside from above!
Buy or make local woven crafts in Luang Prabang - this area is known for weaving and we watched the process at Ock Pop Tock in Luang Prabang where local village women work to preserve and sell their craft
Motorbike through local villages - Rent a motorbike in the Vang Vieng central town and bike out into the rural villages. We found a couple of huts on a riverbank in a local neighborhood and spent hours there watching the local kids hunt for snails, reading and enjoying!
Wildlife - Laos used to be known as the land of a million elephants. Unfortunately many factors including logging, poaching and unethical tourism has significantly decreased the number of elephants remaining in Laos. But it’s still a great place to (ethically) see these magical creatures. We went in Luang Prabang to MandaLao Elephant Conservation where they work to rehabilitate elephants with the goal of reintroducing them to the wild. You get to feed them and walk through the forest with them which is magical. It’s almost like walking a dog. Just a dog that goes wherever they want and eats literally every 5 seconds!
Colonial Architecture - Laos was once a French colony so the architecture, especially in the cultural capital Luang Prabang, is charming and quant. It’s interesting to see such French influence in a Southeast Asian country, but even the pastries are incredible here!
Delicious food - We didn’t know what to expect when it came to Laoasian food, you don’t really see Laoasian restaurants in the states after all, but we found it to be a delicious fusion of Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian food with it’s own flair. We especially loved their take on Khao Soi, a Northern Thai thick and umami driven soup, and insanely delicious sausages.
How to Get There / Get Around
Flights
There are no direct flights from the US or Europe so you’ll have to connect through another country in Asia. Generally, there are direct flights from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Korea. The best airports to fly into are Vientiane (the capital), Luang Prabang or Pakse. One of the best tools to figure out direct routes is Flight Connections.
Boat
A popular backpacker route is taking a slow boat from Northern Thailand into Laos that is typically a 2-day journey. This isn’t something that we did, but this blog outlines the process well!
Train
You can take the train into Laos from China.
Figuring out the logistics has historically been the most challenging part of visiting Laos. The good news is, traveling within Laos between some of the major destinations has never been easier. In 2021 the brand new Laos-China Railway was opened connecting 6 destinations in Laos and running through to China. The 113 mile journey from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang that used to take upwards of 5 to 8 hours by car, now only takes 45 minutes by high speed train. Tickets are not able to be booked online and start selling 48-hours in advance. My advice is to book through a tour operator or your accommodations that will likely add on a surcharge but will do the booking process and arrange transportation for you.
And yes - it’s not lost on us that China is investing heavily in poor countries in SE Asia like Laos and Cambodia (where they’re currently extending the railway). We don’t love the connotation attached to these investments and frankly the majority of Laosians and Cambodians that we met don’t love it either. But when your GDP relies solely on tourism, it’s hard to be mad at improved transportation and roads. We took the train from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang and it was so interesting to see the excitement of many Laosians who were clearly on their very first train ride at the ages of 40, 50 or 60. Another reminder to appreciate the small things we take for granted. As a double edged sword, because the railway makes it much easier to access all of Laos, many people we talked to are anticipating massive change in the country soon. So even more reason to put it high on your list to visit before mass tourism changes the culture. But I digress…
When to Visit Laos
The best time to visit is the dry season which is between October and April, when the weather's warm and dry throughout. River travel is best between November and January, when high water levels make passage easy along Laos' main waterway, the Mekong River.
Where to Go in Laos
Luang Prabang - The cultural capital of Laos. Luang Prabang is situated on the mekong and has a lot of French influence with tons of colonial architecture and cafes scattered around the town. It’s a must visit in Laos!
Vang Vieng - An adventurers paradise. Vang Vieng is located on the Nam Song River. You can kayak or raft down it and there tons of little bars along the riverside. It’s known for waterfalls, caves and hot air balloon rides. We loved renting a motorbike and exploring the nearby villages.
Pakse - The capital city of the South.
4000 Islands
Nong Khiaw - Great for hiking
I hope this has inspired you to travel a bit further across the Thai or Vietnam border to explore the, for now, untouched and gorgeous outpost of Southeast Asia that we will always love.
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